1
|
Peacock L, Kay C, Farren C, Bailey M, Carrington M, Gibson W. Sequential production of gametes during meiosis in trypanosomes. Commun Biol 2021; 4:555. [PMID: 33976359 PMCID: PMC8113336 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02058-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Meiosis is a core feature of eukaryotes that occurs in all major groups, including the early diverging excavates. In this group, meiosis and production of haploid gametes have been described in the pathogenic protist, Trypanosoma brucei, and mating occurs in the salivary glands of the insect vector, the tsetse fly. Here, we searched for intermediate meiotic stages among trypanosomes from tsetse salivary glands. Many different cell types were recovered, including trypanosomes in Meiosis I and gametes. Significantly, we found trypanosomes containing three nuclei with a 1:2:1 ratio of DNA contents. Some of these cells were undergoing cytokinesis, yielding a mononucleate gamete and a binucleate cell with a nuclear DNA content ratio of 1:2. This cell subsequently produced three more gametes in two further rounds of division. Expression of the cell fusion protein HAP2 (GCS1) was not confined to gametes, but also extended to meiotic intermediates. We propose a model whereby the two nuclei resulting from Meiosis I undergo asynchronous Meiosis II divisions with sequential production of haploid gametes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lori Peacock
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Chris Kay
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Chloe Farren
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Mick Bailey
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Mark Carrington
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Wendy Gibson
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Histone deacetylases as targets for antitrypanosomal drugs. Future Sci OA 2018; 4:FSO325. [PMID: 30271613 PMCID: PMC6153458 DOI: 10.4155/fsoa-2018-0037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasitic protozoa comprise several species that are causative agents of important diseases. These diseases are distributed throughout the world and include leishmaniasis, Chagas disease and sleeping sickness, malaria and toxoplasmosis. Treatment is based on drugs that were developed many years ago, which have side effects and produce resistant parasites. One approach for the development of new drugs is the identification of new molecular targets. We summarize the data on histone deacetylases, a class of enzymes that act on histones, which are closely associated with DNA and its regulation. These enzymes may constitute new targets for the development of antiparasitic protozoa drugs. Although several protozoan species are mentioned, members of the Trypanosomatidae family are the main focus of this short review. Parasitic protozoa comprise species that are causative agents of important diseases distributed throughout the world. The available drugs for treatment were developed many years ago, might cause side effects and produce resistant parasites. The identification of new molecular targets is required for the development of new drugs. Histone deacetylases act on histones, are closely associated with DNA and thus may constitute new targets for antiparasitic therapy, especially that against trypanosomatid protozoa.
Collapse
|
3
|
Jensen BC, Sivam D, Kifer CT, Myler PJ, Parsons M. Widespread variation in transcript abundance within and across developmental stages of Trypanosoma brucei. BMC Genomics 2009; 10:482. [PMID: 19840382 PMCID: PMC2771046 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-10-482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2009] [Accepted: 10/19/2009] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness, undergoes a complex developmental cycle that takes place in mammalian and insect hosts and is accompanied by changes in metabolism and cellular morphology. While differences in mRNA expression have been described for many genes, genome-wide expression analyses have been largely lacking. Trypanosomatids represent a unique case in eukaryotes in that they transcribe protein-coding genes as large polycistronic units, and rarely regulate gene expression at the level of transcription initiation. RESULTS Here we present a comprehensive analysis of mRNA expression in several stages of parasite development. Utilizing microarrays that have multiple copies of multiple probes for each gene, we were able to demonstrate with a high degree of statistical confidence that approximately one-fourth of genes show differences in mRNA expression levels in the stages examined. These include complex patterns of gene expression within gene families, including the large family of variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs) and their relatives, where we have identified a number of constitutively expressed family members. Furthermore, we were able to assess the relative abundance of all transcripts in each stage, identifying the genes that are either weakly or highly expressed. Very few genes show no evidence of expression. CONCLUSION Despite the lack of gene regulation at the level of transcription initiation, our results reveal extensive regulation of mRNA abundance associated with different life cycle and growth stages. In addition, analysis of variant surface glycoprotein gene expression reveals a more complex picture than previously thought. These data provide a valuable resource to the community of researchers studying this lethal agent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bryan C Jensen
- Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, 307 Westlake Ave. North, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Abanades DR, Ramírez L, Iborra S, Soteriadou K, González VM, Bonay P, Alonso C, Soto M. Key role of the 3' untranslated region in the cell cycle regulated expression of the Leishmania infantum histone H2A genes: minor synergistic effect of the 5' untranslated region. BMC Mol Biol 2009; 10:48. [PMID: 19460148 PMCID: PMC2691400 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2199-10-48] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2008] [Accepted: 05/21/2009] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Histone synthesis in Leishmania is tightly coupled to DNA replication by a post-transcriptional mechanism operating at the level of translation. RESULTS In this work we have analyzed the implication of the 5' and 3' untranslated regions (UTR) in the cell cycle regulated expression of the histone H2A in Leishmania infantum. For that purpose, L. infantum promastigotes were stably transfected with different plasmid constructs in which the CAT coding region used as a reporter was flanked by the 5' and 3' UTR regions of the different H2A genes. We report that in spite of their sequence differences, histone H2A 5' and 3' UTRs conferred a cell cycle dependent pattern of expression on the CAT reporter since de novo synthesis of CAT increased when parasites enter the S phase. Using one established L. infantum cell line we showed that CAT expression is controlled by the same regulatory events that control the endogenous histone gene expression. Thus, although we did not detect changes in the level of CAT mRNAs during cell cycle progression, a drastic change in the polysome profiles of CAT mRNAs was observed during the progression from G1 to S phase. In the S phase CAT mRNAs were on polyribosomal fractions, but in the G1 phase the association of CAT transcripts with ribosomes was impaired. Furthermore, it was determined that the addition of just the H2A 3' UTR to the CAT reporter gene is sufficient to achieve a similar pattern of post-transcriptional regulation indicating that this region contains the major regulatory sequences involved in the cell cycle dependent expression of the H2A genes. On the other hand, although CAT transcripts bearing the H2A 5' alone were translated both in the G1 and S phase, higher percentages of transcripts were detected on polyribosomes in the S phase correlating with an increase in the de novo synthesis of CAT. Thus, it can be concluded that this region also contributes, although to a minor extent than the 3' UTR, in the enhancement of translation in the S phase relative to the G1 phase. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that both, the 5' and the 3' UTRs contain sequence elements that contribute to the cell cycle expression of L. infantum H2A. The 3' UTR region is essential for cell cycle dependent translation of the L. infantum H2A transcripts whereas the 5' UTR has a minor contribution in their S phase dependent translation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Abanades
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Ramírez
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Salvador Iborra
- Unidad de Inmunología Viral, Centro Nacional de Microbiología, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Crta. Pozuelo Km 2, 28220 Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ketty Soteriadou
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vas. Sophias, 115 21 Athens, Greece
| | - Victor M González
- Departamento de Bioquímica-Investigación, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Bonay
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Alonso
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Soto
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, CSIC-UAM, Nicolás Cabrera 1, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Siegel TN, Kawahara T, Degrasse JA, Janzen CJ, Horn D, Cross GAM. Acetylation of histone H4K4 is cell cycle regulated and mediated by HAT3 in Trypanosoma brucei. Mol Microbiol 2007; 67:762-71. [PMID: 18179414 PMCID: PMC2253726 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2007.06079.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Post-translational histone modifications have been studied intensively in several eukaryotes. It has been proposed that these modifications constitute a 'histone code' that specifies epigenetic information for transcription regulation. With a limited number of histone-modifying enzymes, implying less redundancy, Trypanosoma brucei represents an excellent system in which to investigate the function of individual histone modifications and histone-modifying enzymes. In this study, we characterized the acetylation of lysine 4 of histone H4 (H4K4), the most abundant acetylation site in T. brucei histones. Because of the large sequence divergence of T. brucei histones, we generated highly specific antibodies to acetylated and unmodified H4K4. Immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blots with sorted cells revealed a strong enrichment of unmodified H4K4 in S phase and suggested a G1/G0-specific masking of the site, owing to non-covalently binding factors. Finally, we showed that histone acetyltransferase 3 (HAT3) is responsible for H4K4 acetylation and that treatment of cells with the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide led to an almost instantaneous loss of unmodified H4K4 sites. As HAT3 is located inside the nucleus, our findings suggest that newly synthesized histone H4 with an unmodified K4 is imported rapidly into the nucleus, where it is acetylated, possibly irreversibly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T Nicolai Siegel
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Soto M, Iborra S, Quijada L, Folgueira C, Alonso C, Requena JM. Cell-cycle-dependent translation of histone mRNAs is the key control point for regulation of histone biosynthesis in Leishmania infantum. Biochem J 2004; 379:617-25. [PMID: 14766017 PMCID: PMC1224130 DOI: 10.1042/bj20031522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2003] [Revised: 02/02/2004] [Accepted: 02/09/2004] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The cell-cycle-dependent expression of the four core histones (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4) has been studied in the protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum. For that purpose, the cell cycle was arrested by incubation of promastigotes with the DNA synthesis inhibitor hydroxyurea, which induced an accumulation of cells stalled in G1 phase. Hydroxyurea release resulted in a semi-synchronous entry into the cell cycle, as determined by flow cytometry. The steady-state levels of histone mRNAs in the G1, S and G2/M phases were found to be constant along the cell cycle. However, the levels of histone synthesis increased when parasites enter the S phase, in agreement with previous results showing that histone synthesis in Leishmania is tightly coupled with DNA replication. In addition, we analysed the distribution of histone mRNAs on polyribosomes at different stages of the cell cycle by separation of cytoplasmic RNAs in sucrose gradients. Remarkably, a drastic change in the polysome profiles of histone mRNAs was observed during the progression from G1 to S phase. Thus, in the S phase, histone mRNAs are present in ribosome-bound fractions, but in the G1 phase, the histone transcripts are exclusively found in the ribosome-free fractions. These results support a regulatory model in which the cell-cycle-regulated synthesis of histones in Leishmania is controlled through a reversible interaction between translational repressors and histone mRNAs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Soto
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Abstract
The histones are responsible for packaging and regulating access to eukaryotic genomes. Trypanosomatids are flagellated protists that diverged early from the eukaryotic lineage and include parasites that cause disease in humans and other mammals. Here, we review the properties of histones in parasitic trypanosomatids, from gene organization and sequence to expression, post-translational modification and function within chromatin. Phylogenetic and experimental analysis indicates that certain specifically conserved histone sequence motifs, particularly within the N-terminal 'tail' domains, possibly represent functionally important modification substrates conserved throughout the eukaryotic lineage. For example, histone H3 contains a highly conserved methylation substrate. Trypanosomatids also possess at least three variant histones. Among these is an orthologue of H2A.Z, a histone involved in protecting 'active' chromatin from silencing in yeast. Histones provide docking platforms for a variety of regulatory factors. The presence of histone modification and variant histones in trypanosomatids therefore represents evidence for a network that provides the discrimination required to regulate transcription, recombination, repair and chromosome replication and segregation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam Alsford
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
García-Salcedo JA, Nolan DP, Gijón P, Gómez-Rodriguez J, Pays E. A protein kinase specifically associated with proliferative forms of Trypanosoma brucei is functionally related to a yeast kinase involved in the co-ordination of cell shape and division. Mol Microbiol 2002; 45:307-19. [PMID: 12123446 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2958.2002.03019.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The life cycle of African trypanosomes is characterized by the alternation of proliferative and quiescent stages but the molecular details of this process remain unknown. Here, we describe a new cytoplasmic protein kinase from Trypanosoma brucei, termed TBPK50, that belongs to a family of protein kinases involved in the regulation of the cell cycle, cell shape and proliferation. TBPK50 is expressed only in proliferative forms but is totally absent in quiescent cells despite the fact that the gene is constitutively transcribed at the same level throughout the life cycle. It is probable that TBPK50 has very specific substrate requirements as it was unable to transphosphorylate a range of classical phosphoacceptor substrates in vitro, although an autophosphorylation activity was readily detectable in the same assays. Complementation studies using a fission yeast mutant demonstrated that TBPK50 is a functional homologue of Orb6, a protein kinase involved in the regulation of cellular morphology and cell cycle progression in yeast. These results link the expression of TBPK50 and the growth status of trypanosomes and support the view that this protein kinase is likely to be involved in the control of life cycle progression and cell division of these parasites.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José A García-Salcedo
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, ULB - Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, 12 Rue des Professeurs Jeener et Brachet, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|